The two NY Daily News sponsored NYC spelling bee contestants didn't advance in yesterday's fourth round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Alexander Martin, a Dwight School eighth-grader, misspelled "dissilient" (it means "springing apart, specifically bursting open"; Martin spelled it "desilient") and seventh grader Rajdeep Chahal at MS 137 was stumped with "feuilleton" ("the part of a European newspaper devoted to light fiction, reviews, and articles of general entertainment"; Chahal spelled it "fuolyurtone"). Even though these kids are headed back home early, Gothamist would like to congratulate them, because Martin and Chahal could easily whup our ass in spelling... in fact, if either one could master Movable Type, we'd love them to check our spelling.
There are 51 contestants in the Spelling Bee remaining in today's final round. More spelling bee goods for you: The 2002 movie Spellbound is on DVD, the Tony nominated 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is on Broadway, and Myla Goldberg's book Bee Season is being adapted into a film starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche.
Photograph of yawning Spelling Bee contestant from the AP
